From Page to Screen: So B. It

Adaptations of books to any form of media can be dicey, so I typically go into them with low expectations because they almost always disappoint me. So B. It wasn’t one of those films, though. Based on the novel of the same name by Sarah Weeks, So B. It was a heartfelt family movie that perfectly captured everything I loved about the book.

At the start of the film I was nervous because it didn’t begin the way the book did. The film chose a time jump narrative, in which it begins with Heidi already being in the police station holding her jar of jelly beans (if you didn’t read the book this will make more sense once you do), and then jumps back to fill in the details of how she got there. I wasn’t sure if I would like this but as the movie went on I really enjoyed this form of storytelling, and somehow it made the movie even more emotional for me. I didn’t cry while reading the book, but I definitely cried a few times during the movie.

Overall, I only really had one issue with the film. Unlike in the book ,the film gave a name to Heidi’s mom’s mental illness and I was very confused by it because it just didn’t seem to fit how Heidi’s mom acted and her symptoms. Still, I’m not an expert on mental illnesses so maybe I’m way off base here. Besides that, I can’t think of any other issues I had with the movie. It was very well done, and like I said, the changes were all worth it, and didn’t take away from the story. There was one scene that was cut for the movie that I wish made it in, but I understood for the sake of time why it was cut and the scene I’m thinking of wasn’t really necessary to the story so I’m able to accept that.

Unfortunately, the film is no longer in theaters but keep an eye out for the DVD release. This is a movie I highly recommend seeing. Just make sure you have a tissue box.